New Balance 1080v9 Shoe Review

The New Balance 1080v8 was the first New Balance shoe I fell in love with. It’s high cushioned, with a nice roomy toe box. I got through the bulk of NYCM training in them and was sad to finally retire the pair. Naturally, I was excited when the New Balance 1080v9 came out. I knew I would probably like it just as much, spoiler I did.

Weight: Men’s 11.1 oz | Women’s 9.9 ozDrop: 8 mm

Fit:

The major update for the 1080v9 comes with the upper. The upper for the 1080v9 is much more simple. New Balance removed the conventional mesh with many overlays, seams, and plastic for an engineered jacquard mesh. The jacquard mesh or fancy mesh has no seams or overlay. In all, version 9 is much sleeker.

Included in the fit, was the removal of the bulky tongue as well as a molded 3D heel design. The premise is to lock your heal into place. I think it fits my foot well, but working in run specialty, I’ve had a few people that don’t care for how it hits their ankle. I’ve run over 100 miles in the shoes, and haven’t had any issues. Typically I wear a 10-11 wide, and the 10.5 regular width is fine.

A great feature of the shoe, is the logo “N” is reflective.

Ride:

The update also includes the removal of about an ounce of weight. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it makes a huge difference in how you feel while running in the shoe. The lighter weight V9 now feels softer in the midsole, and there is more cushion and response at the forefront.

With plenty of cushion, it’s a great option for easy days, recovery days, or just daily runs. For me personally, it fits best on any of the 3. The traction is there so when we had a snow storm a few days ago, I was able to run without feeling like I’m sliding around. If you have liked the 1080 in the past, you will like it for version 9. If you have never run in the New Balance 1080 and are looking for a high cushioned trainer, the 1080v9 is a great fit. Even though it’s high cushion, it doesn’t lack the response of a lighter weight trainer.

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2 responses

I might try a pair! You recommended the 1080 to me before, and while the fit was very comfortable, the feel was clunky – rather heavy. I ended up passing because my test run at my running store didn’t feel smooth, but I did like how much cushion they had to protect my picky feet. I’d love to see how a lighter version works.